Distressing is a technique employed by cabinet designers to give each of their pieces more personality. Traditionally, Distressing is used to give pieces a worn and rugged look, a look that lends itself to the rustic style of cabinetry design. However, it can be applied to any style of cabinetry desired. Distressing involves using tools to roughen a piece’s surface to give a unique look to a design and make certain finishes pop. Cutting Edge offers all the below types of distressing on both doors and trim but some are not available for “slab” style doors.